Water At Your Shore
by Nagone
Summary: Korra meets the Avatar of Republic City, a woman who was born of the dreams of millions.


For Avatar Femslash Week, Day 1/7

* * *

 **Summary:** Korra meets the Avatar of Republic City, a woman who was born of the dreams of millions.

 **Genre:** T+

 **Rated:** Romance, Supernatural

 **Prompt:** Modern AU

* * *

Korra Johnson met her on the shores of Republic City, late at night when she was sitting in the sand, feet dug into the warm grains and the stars twinkling above.

Out here on the fridge of the city, university seemed so far away, as did her weird powers: the ability to channel different elements, as she was now, twisting the water to flow around her, keeping her spot of the beach dry from the rising tide.

She warmed herself with fire, produced between her cupped hands, and she breathed out steamed air, taking away the biting chill of fall. Around her, wind rolled across the sand, yet she was pushing it away between breathes, at ease with her bubble of calm.

Korra was so focused on her silence that she hadn't noticed the appearance of a figure in the distance: tall, with oil for hair, unbound and blowing in the breeze. She carried with her the scent of steel, cut grass, and coffee: the smell of _her_ city, of the place that had created her.

The woman walked across the beach, invisible from the beginning of her

"You don't see that everyday." Korra jerked her head up, and the water rushed over her, drenching her as the ocean receded, the swell going back out. She sputtered, coughing up a mouthful of water and lurched to her feet, stumbling up past the wet sand until it began to stick to her feet again.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry!" The woman called, but Korra was ignoring her, irritated at the broken silence.

"What are you doing out here?" Korra shouted. "I was _finally_ getting some peace."

The women recoiled as if slapped, but her eyes –Korra could see the vibrant green that looked ethereal in the moonlight– went wide with shock. "Wait… you can hear me? See me?"

"Of _course_!" Korra exclaimed. She shook her hair, water droplets flying onto the sand.

Suddenly, the woman dashed to Korra and helped her sit down on a log that had been moved out to the beach for a makeshift bench. Korra wrung out her shirt, but found it useless, and instead, sighed. "No one ever sees me," she stated. Korra raised a thick, brown eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm…" The woman paused, chewing red lips. "I'm Asami. Asami Sato," she stated. "And I'm Republic City."

* * *

Korra woke up in an unfamiliar bed that morning, tangled up in sheets with cogwheel designs, head pillowed on the leg of someone wholly unfamiliar. She blinked her to awareness, sacking her lips to clear the last dregs of slip from her mouth. Sitting up, Korra realized she was in bed with the woman from last night, and let out a shout.

"Oh gosh, please, calm down!" Asami said, waving her hands. "You're alright. You just passed out and… and well, I brought you back. I would've taken you to your dorm, but-"

"You know I'm a _student_?" Korra asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, _yes_ , but only because I'm the city!" Asami said, shaking her head vigorously. "I don't just… just _stalk_ you!"

Korra huffed through her nose, sharply blowing out air. "What does that even _mean_?"

"What?"

"That you're the city?"

"Yes, I'm the city."

"…You're a building?" Korra meant it teasingly, trying to take the edge off of her growing unease, and Asami caught it.

"Obviously not." Asami curved a red lip and rolled her eyes.

"Then what are you a freaking god or something?"

Asami's green eyes went wide and she tensed, broad shoulders hunched up to her ears. "I… I'm what the city created. Well…" She waved her hands. "I'm what the city's collective thoughts produced. I'm everyone's hopes and dreams all… wrapped up into a humanoid, immortal form." Asami's cheeks colored and she sighed. "It's… hard to explain. I just… I know what I am, and because of it, I found you last night."

Korra climbed out of the bed at that point, and began to toe on her tennis shoes, neatly placed next to the nightstand. "I'm leaving. I've been kidnapped by some weird woman, and I'm leaving," she stated, more for herself than anyone else.

"Please let me try and explain," Asami asked. "You're the first person that's ever seen me. I…" She shuddered at the sudden gale in the room, twisting her hair behind her. Only Korra remained untouched, still in the eye of her own storm. "Plus, I can tell you what your powers are. I've seen them before. If you'll just listen, I'll help you!"

That seemed to be a catalyst, because Korra paused, the wind dying down, leaving Asami's bedroom in disarray. "I need a shower and breakfast then."

* * *

Korra showered quickly, unhappily putting on the previous days clothing afterwards, feeling grimy and stressed all over again. When she found her way into Asami's kitchen, she was greeted with the smell of rice, pickled vegetables, and a spicy smell she recognized as the sausage popular in the city, seasoned with fire flakes. Korra sat down on a stool at the kitchen island, glad to be close to the door.

"Eat," Asami suggested, smiling gently. She sat down a pitcher of watermelon juice, and made herself a plate. "It's not much, but if there's anything time has taught me, it's to cook."

Korra cautiously sniffed the food before hunger overtook her senses and she dove in, biting into the juicy sausages. She devoured two plates before she talked to Asami, exhausted from manipulating nature the night before. "So," Korra said, casually sipping the watermelon juice. It tasted far fresher than the dining hall's juice, and had a hint of lemon and orange in it, sweetening the fruit. "You claim to be an… Avatar."

"It's the easiest way to describe me," Asami said. "I'm more of… a personification, if that's easier."

"So not a god."

"Right. I'm not worshipped, have no followers, and honestly, no one even knows I exist. I'm just… here." She shrugged her shoulders. "Need anything else to eat?"

Korra nodded no, focused on Asami now. "

"You said you could explain my… powers," Korra said, whispering the last word with shame. She hugged herself and looked at her plate, cheeks darkening. "Am I magic or… like you?"

"No," Asami stated. "You're one hundred percent human, if that's consolation." For Korra, it was. "You're just… different."

"Different how? Like, magic different?" Korra asked, right eyebrow raised.

"Not magic: it's bending. A very old kind of ability, actually. But not magic," Asami stated matter-of-factly. "It used to be used all around the world but once peace settled, it went away. No need to borrow the elements when there's no danger."

"So I'm the only one that can do this?" Korra asked.

"Maybe." Asami tilted her head. "At least, as far as the United Republic is concerned, yes. I can't reach past that. It's not my territory as an Avatar."

Korra let out a low whistle and ran a hand through her hair, ruffling the short strands of her bob. "Wow. So, this used to be… normal?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Oh yeah. I used to have two friends that could bend elements: fire and earth, though they only could do one. I've never seen all _four_." Asami grinned wide. "It's kind of cool though."

Korra nodded and pushed her plate away suddenly, getting up. She stepped into her tennis shoes in the entryway and grabbed her coat, hanging on a wood coat rack. "Korra?" Asami asked. Korra didn't even bother to think how she knew her name: she was a city, after all, or rather, the supposed guardian of one.

"I've got to go." Korra opened the door and ran into the streets, eyes set on catching the number 4 bus back to her dorm.

* * *

Korra found her way back to Asami's apartment two days later.

She'd tossed and turned over the weekend, barely resting, and keeping quiet when she was awake. Her roommate, Opal had noticed midday on Saturday that it was best to keep away from Korra: each time she'd tried to talk, Korra had pinned her with a vicious, blue eyed stare that was meant to clearly deter conversation.

Yet something bothered enough that Sunday night, right before bed, Korra chanced a question. "Opal, you're religious, right?"

"Yes and no," Opal replied with a cautious smile. "Polytheistic, in the least."

Korra nodded and leaned out from her bed on the bottom bunk, looking up at Opal's curious, pistachio green eyes. "So… would it be weird if I told you I met a spirit that's the city?"

"Like a spirit made _of_ the city or _from_ the city?" Opal asked.

"Both," Korra said, nodding. "I think both."

"No, not at all." Opal disappeared and Korra heard her climbing down the ladder. "Scoot over and tell me more about this spirit."

So Korra did, detailing Asami and what she'd said, cautiously telling Opal about her abilities. "She told me that they're old, but not weird. That people used to be able to do things like that." Opal nodded eagerly, eyes filled with curious shine.

"That's amazing," Opal stated. "You've _actually_ met her."

"Her?" Korra asked, baffled. "You _knew_ there was something like... a living city thing?"

"Avatar, but living city is good enough," Opal clarified. "But yeah. Back in Zaofu, we had one too. They're born from willpower, but change with the desires of the city. Think of them like... nature spirits. They're like us, just... they represent us."

"So it's real."

"Very." Opal sighed, kicking her legs back and forth. "It's a rare experience, you know, meeting a spirit now. Most people don't believe in them as anything but myth, but you... Well, Republic Cit y wants to _actually_ be _around_ you. Talk about otherworldly." They chatted a bit more after that, and then Opal climbed up, leaving Korra to think and replay their conversation over and over again in her head until early morning.

* * *

That talk had propelled Korra back to Asami's door step, had raised to knock on the door. She did, twice, and when Asami answered, she only said one thing. "Let's explore the city together."

They did, walking up and down districts, buying trinkets and grazing at food stalls. People seemed drawn to Asami, and everywhere they went, they gifted her things: small tokens of thanks, not knowing who, or what, she was. Asami took them each time with a wide smile, and Korra noticed that she became more and more like the city, reflected through the trinkets decorating her hair, the bracelets on her wrist, and that Asami grew to learn to cook the next time they hung out together.

Truly, Asami was the embodiment of the city, and Korra found her fondness growing daily. Curiosity gave way to regular affection, which blossomed into the flickers of something new. Soon, a month of Asami taught Korra to appreciate the city in a new way.

She found joy in the small things: in the flowers that tilted towards Asami when she passed, opening their blooms in joy. At the taste of food made for the city with selfless kindness. At the wishes she heard of people all around her, filling Asami with pride and a sense of duty. All of it made the city vibrant, and as Korra fell in love with it, she found herself falling in love with Asami too.

Asami became the whispers she told to Opal when she was feeling invincible, the concept she mentioned to Mako during their criminology classes, and the constant after cups of coffee, late night stargazing, and thick textbooks.

As usual, Korra had found herself at Asami's one afternoon, more comfortable with the living city than ever before. Though she'd wanted to, she'd forgone flowers or a gift, instead presenting herself to Asami's open arms, and stepping inside.

Sitting down on Asami's couch, she told Asami all of that, keeping the last to herself like a guarded secret. Asami's eye lit up, clearly proud, and she adjusted closer to Korra, kissing her gently.

"It's amazing, right?" Asami breathed, breaking their kiss with flushed cheeks. "The city is a wonderful thing. I'm just… glad to be a part of it."

"Yeah," Korra replied, albeit a bit lamely. She leaned in for another kiss, and Asami responded, forgoing chatting.

They sighed, kisses fading to couch cuddling, with Korra wrapped up in Asami's arms, Asami's head resting on her shoulder. "You could become my champion, you know," Asami whispered, sighing. Korra breathed in her scent, a light vanilla that invaded her lungs, and felt close to bursting.

"Champion?" She asked. "What's that entail?"

"Exist with me into the future, protect the city. That kind of stuff?" Asami said, voice going up at the end. "I mean…. You know, you could, if you'd ever considered."

Korra nodded and pushed the thought to the back of her mind. "Let's just enjoy this." But Asami turned her cheek, Korra's lips skittering over her cheek, leaving a slick streak of gloss.

"No, Korra, I'm _serious_ ," Asami said. "I… I could use someone like you at my side. As…. As more than friend." Korra felt her heart flutter with weeks of new affection, with the notion of "more" being a possibility.

"As what then?" Korra whispered.

"Girlfriend?" Asami suggested. "I mean, we can take time to get to know each other before you even consider being my champion, but-"

"Asami. I… I'm good with _this._ " Korra offered a wan smile, tilting her head to kiss Asami right this time.

"I'm not. I have feelings, Korra," Asami said, voice booming around the living room. "Don't you?"

Korra winced. "Of course I do, I just… I'm just alright with _this_." She motioned between them and shrugged.

Asami nodded slowly, tucking a lock of black hair behind her ear. "I… I would like you to go now," she whispered, sniffling. She tilted her down, hiding the blotchy blush on her neck with her hair. " _Now_."

"Asami, if you'd just be reasonable and-"

"Leave!" Asami shouted, voice cracking at the end, and Korra jerked back from her, shifting away. "I can't do this to the city. If I would have known to keep from falling for you, then I would have, but you should have told me all you wanted was a fling." Her words had bite to them, wounding Korra. "So please, leave. I have to get past this for the city."

Korra couldn't think of any replies, and instead, bit her lip, getting up from the couch and leaving in silence.

* * *

They didn't see each other for a month after that.

Korra searched for Asami in everything: in the older women on the street corners who sold fresh flowers, in the children playing on the playground, in her professors, in coffee shops, in fashion magazines. She looked for any sign that the Avatar was there, that Republic City's living form was there, looking _for_ Korra, and not keeping away.

Yet she never once saw her, for Asami Sato had no desire to be found. At least, not by Korra.

Korra still scoured the city, between classes, after dinner, searching for jet black hair, a tall woman with bracelets and trinkets, red lipstick. But Asami was gone, smudged out of her perception.

Korra found herself at a beach once month two rolled around, digging her feet into the sand as she let loose her ability, bending the elements around her until she felt like she was going to pass out right there on the sand.

"Korra." Korra heard Asami's voice, just like months before, heard her calling out with an anxious note, but she ignored it, muscles flexing as she pushed herself harder.

"Korra, you'll burn out." Korra twisted out of the grip, stumbling forward. Tears rolled down her cheek and sizzled on her hot skin, but she let loose more fire, grasped at the gusts, let the sand tangle around her legs, pulled on the tides.

"Korra!" Korra turned and let out a breath of fire, and it whirled towards Asami, but she held up her hand and it faded, leaving Korra with wide blue eyes and bloodshot sclera. She dropped to her knees, coughing hard, clutching her stomach, sobbing now in the sand.

Asami was next to her, whether in that moment or moments later, and she was crying too, sobbing loudly as she pulled Korra up. "You idiot!" she shouted. "You could have died! Don't you understand you have limits?!"

Korra sniffled and jerked away. "Don't tell me what to do! Not when you _left_ me!"

"Me?!" Asami's nostrils flared wide. "You're the one who didn't even want to _try_ anything! You should have said something!"

"Really now?!" Korra felt dizzy with heat, and she shuddered, clammy sweat beading on her neck. "Like what? That I _like_ you?! That I may _love_ you?!" Korra was too weak to clap a hand over her mouth, and instead slumped down onto the ground, shaking now.

"…You what?" Asami breathed.

" _Love_ you. Okay, well, have the start of it. I want to still get to _know_ you, date you, and maybe see if this… something, can work," Korra said. She was laying on the sand now, spread out. "I… I just need a… a mo…" She inhaled, and the heat swelled over her, and the world blurred out to the sound of Asami's frightened voice.

* * *

It was surreal waking up in Asami's bed alone.

Before, the girl had been hovering, clearly frightened by Korra's condition, but now, Asami was gone, leaving Korra to wonder where she was.

Korra climbed out of bed silently, walking into the hall and living room on eggshells. She peaked around the corner at the smell of tea and sugar and saw Asami in the kitchen, humming softly, and preparing tea in small cups, each with their own saucer.

Korra stepped and a floorboard squeaked, yet Asami didn't raise her head, green eyes focused downwards. "Come," she said. "I've got tea and some pastries. Hope you don't mind that they're two days old."

"No, no," Korra said. "Better than the dining hall." She took her familiar barstool seat, and placed her hands on the counter. Asami pushed a cup of tea towards her and she inhaled, citrus and honey soothing her nerves.

"I'm sorry," Korra said. "I… I should have been honest. I shouldn't have… I shouldn't have said those things." She looked down at the cup of tea, spinning it around in her hands, the bottom clacking against the saucer.

"Why were you doing last night?" Asami asked after a few minutes.

"Being angry."

"At?"

"You," Korra admitted. Asami quirked an eyebrow. "Me, really. I was an-"

"Ass?"

"Yeah. A really big one."

"Agreed." Asami smiled a little, and Korra barked out a too loud laugh, quickly taking a sip of tea.

"You were burning up all night you know, after you collapsed," Asami said, finally looking up at her. "I thought I'd wake up to a corpse with how much you were shaking." She took a sip of her tea, green eyes going back down. "I… I was very scared."

"I'm sorry," Korra replied.

"I know," Asami answered.

"Are you still mad?"

"Yes and no."

"That's alright."

"You don't have to tell me that." Asami smirked, draining the rest of her tea. "I might have never tried this kind of thing, but I'm older than you by centuries." Korra snorted, and they returned to silence, though it was more comfortable this time, less painfully awkward.

"I missed you," Asami said softly.

"I did too. Never thought I'd miss a city like this," Korra whispered. "I searched everywhere for you."

"I know. I felt it. You make it hard to avoid you when your feelings are hurt, you know?"

"I've always been persistent

"What will you do?" Asami asked. Korra knew what she meant: what would she do about them.

"A week," Korra asked, requested. Asami nodded, green eyes understanding, yet still warm.

"A week."

* * *

They met on that seventh day, under the starry sky, facing once another feet away on the beach, right where Asami was wearing a sundress, billowing white fabric like a sweep of moonlight formed into a swath of dress. "Have you… considered?" Asami asked. Her voice carried over to Korra.

Instead of answering, Korra crossed the distance, water lapping loudly at the shores, dragging sand out to the ocean. She took Asami's hand, pulled her close, and pressed her lips flush against the Avatar's, tasting Republic City's tang flush over her tongue before she leaned back and whispered. "Let's try this out," she whispered. "And maybe one day, me as your champion."

"Don't force yourself to think so far ahead," Asami breathed. "It's not easy being with a city."

"Don't worry," Korra answered, licking her lips. "I _want_ to try."


End file.
